‘The Walking Dead’: Steven Yeun Says Negan’s Arrival Is ‘Awesome’

For comic book fans of The Walking Dead, the season 6 finale is approaching too fast — especially if what they think will happen between Negan and a main character actually occurs. But what does the actor who plays that character think about Negan’s imminent approach?

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses the season 6 finale of AMC’s The Walking Dead. Also being discussed are the comic books this series is based on. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Okay, so if you have read the above warning and scrolled down anyway, we will assume you know that Glenn Rhee (played by Steven Yeun in the television series) is the character mentioned in the first paragraph. We will also assume that you know he comes to a rather grisly end thanks to Negan (to be played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his barbed wire bat he so fondly calls Lucille.

Since the second half of season 6 of The Walking Dead returned, fans have been biting their nails and counting down until the appearance of Negan. Every time Glenn comes across something bat related (and there have been plenty of instances, not only through season 6, but also in earlier seasons), fans have panicked, certain the foreshadowing is real. While AMC doesn’t always follow the storylines in the Walking Dead comic books closely, many expect there will be no option but to follow this instance as it is seen as the catalyst required for the events following. Even if it is not Glenn who dies at the hands of Negan, it will be someone — most likely one of the main cast.

In earlier interviews, Steven Yeun has been asked about Negan and what he does to Glenn in The Walking Dead. Yeun has always been aware of Glenn’s fate in the comics, so it is no surprise that he is ambiguous as to Glenn’s fate. Last year he told The Wrap that writers at AMC try to make things “poignant and purposeful and meaningful.” So if it was time for Glenn to die, “then it’s probably going to be awesome.”

However, Steven Yeun has given a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that somewhat addresses Glenn and Negan’s storyline. While he agrees the comic book storyline is important, he also says that nothing is set in stone as far as bringing storylines over from the comics to the Walking Dead TV series.

“There is something to be said about something being predictable. I’m sure there are iconic moments, but at the same time, we want to keep this show as fresh and alive as possible, and we’re going to tell that story that exists for the world we’ve created. And it is inspired by the world Robert Kirkman has created, but it’s also its own entity, to some degree. So, yeah. I mean, we’ll see what happens.”

He did assure fans that AMC does not always do what is done in the comics, but what is important to the television version of the series. He also said that the arrival of Negan is “awesome.” And fans are not really sure what to make of that.

It is likely the first physical appearance of Negan will be in the season 6 finale of The Walking Dead. And if this the case, some of the cast have already voiced their opinion on Episode 16 of season 6. Andrew Lincoln, who plays the main character, Rick Grimes, had this to say to Entertainment Weekly recently.

“I felt sick to my stomach when I read the script. It was the first day in the whole six years of working on The Walking Dead that I was late for work because I woke up in the middle of the night and I couldn’t get back to sleep. I was so angry and frustrated and I felt sick. And that was just after reading it.”

Lauren Cohan (who plays Glenn’s wife, Maggie) backed this up. “It’s the hardest day on set that I’ve ever had in my life,” Cohan told EW. “Andy talks about being late to work; I didn’t want to go to work that day. It took a really, really long time for everybody to feel okay again after the finale, let’s put it that way.” So everyone present felt such a physical reaction to the season 6 finale of The Walking Dead. Glenn is one of the few original cast members who have survived all six seasons so far. For Andrew and Lauren to lose a character that has been there all this time would certainly be hard on the cast, especially since they all appear to be quite close both on set and off.

As for the Walking Dead’s creator, Robert Kirkman, he is certainly an expert at muddying the water when it comes to Glenn’s fate. Kirkman has stated that the recent storyline where it was unknown if Glenn was dead or alive was not a way in which to gauge the audience’s reaction to Glenn’s demise, when he spoke to the New York Times last year. He also said that certain things in the comic books are set in stone as far as he is concerned, yet the events surrounding these storylines are still quite malleable. This sounds a little like what Steven Yeun told EW above.

What do you think, will Glenn die in the season 6 finale of The Walking Dead? Let us know your thoughts and theories by commenting below!

Season 6 of The Walking Dead returns to AMC with Episode 14 (entitled “Twice As Far”) on Sunday, March 20, at 9 p.m. ET. You can check out teasers for this episode here.